Photo Credit: Andres Tardio
J. Cole recently spoke to Vulture about the release of his latest album, KOD.
In the lengthy interview, the North Carolina rapper, who set new streaming records on with KOD's release on both Apple and Spotify, discussed his pinion of so-called Soundcloud rappers, his new project, and even called his critics "idiots".
“If Cole comes off as earnest, it’s because he is,” writes Cantor. “And he knows you think he’s boring, knows SoundCloud rappers diss him every second, and that Kendrick Lamar and Drake are mentioned before him in most best-rapper conversations.”
Cantor then mentions the constant critiques lobbed at Cole. “But he also knows this — with his new record, K.O.D., he’s got the No. 1 album in the country, what’s projected to be the best-selling record of the year so far, and most important to him, it’s resonating deeply with his fans.” Says Cole of his critics: “Now it’s even clearer. You’re a fucking idiot.”
This is a pretty understandable, if arrogant, response given Cole’s objective level of success. Cole has become relatable in recent years by appealing to college kids and the everyman in his music, with 2014 Forrest Hills Drive’ssuccess proving that he could attain massive fame by doing just that. He can be an easy prop comparison to rappers who are more disenchanted, which he wasn’t afraid to address head-on with the imagery and themes of his recently-released KOD. In the Vulture interview, he addresses rumors of who he was taking aim at on the album: “It’s really a ‘shoe fits’ situation — several people can wear that shoe.”
Check out J. Cole's full interview at Vulture here.